Public Safety

LAPSA President Chris Mamula, left, presents the 2016 Los Alamos Public Safety Association First Responder of the Year Award to Los Alamos Police Department Dispatcher Ruben Garcia for his outstanding contribution to public safety during an emergency call for service. Garcia is joined by his wife Amanda at the awards ceremony Sunday at La Mesita Eatery. Photo by Kateri Morris

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department. Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

BENJAMIN VIGIL

Nov. 30 at 11 a.m. / Police arrested Benjamin Vigil, 41, of Espanola on 15th Street on an outstanding warrant from another jurisdiction.

On Wednesday of last week, the Senate Special Committee on Aging called for tougher state actions to prevent elder abuse by guardians – and in a 2011 MetLife study, it was suggested that older Americans lost more than $2 billion to financial exploitation by a spectrum of perpetrators in 2010.

In June of this year, the Taos News reported that, in the U.S., approximately 1 in 10 of senior citizens has been a victim of elder abuse, for a total of more than 1 million each year.

PHOENIX ― The Internal Revenue Service, the states and the tax industry recently urged taxpayers to take steps to protect themselves online to help in the fight against identity theft.

Scammers, hackers and identity thieves are looking to steal taxpayers’ personal information and ultimately their money. But, there are simple steps taxpayers can take to help protect themselves, like keeping computer software up-to-date and being cautious about giving out their personal information.

This is the first reminder to taxpayers during “National Tax Security Awareness Week,”

SANTA FE ― New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller released a statewide special audit of untested sexual assault evidence kits, commonly known as “rape kits.”

The Office of the State Auditor (OSA) conducted the special audit to determine why a backlog of 5,440 untested kits amassed in New Mexico and develop best practices to clear it and prevent it from happening again.

In New Mexico, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 20 men have experienced sexual assault in their lifetime and 65 percent of sexual assault victims are minors.

County reminds residents that it is important to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice. Courtesy photo

COUNTY News:

During the winter months, the County would like to remind residents that it is important to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice so that they remain pass­able for postal workers, children walking to school and others who need to use them.

When possible, and depend­ing upon available resources, County crews will conduct sidewalk-clearing operations by removing snow first from the adopted “safe routes to school” and then move to other selected sidewalks.

WASHINGTON D.C. ― DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg announced results from the 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), which details the extent to which illicit drugs are affecting the United States.

Most notably, the 2016 NDTA continues to illuminate the nationwide opioid epidemic, which is fueling a growing heroin user population and resulting in a greater amount of overdoses. In 2014, approximately 129 people died every day as a result of drug poisoning and 61 percent (79) of them are pharmaceutical opioid or heroin related.

VIENNA – At an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz today announced the United States is embarking on an effort to dilute and dispose of six metric tons of excess plutonium from the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, and that the United States is prepared to work with the IAEA in 2017 to develop a monitoring and verification plan for the disposition process.

Below are Secretary Moniz’ remarks at the conference, which begin with a message from President Obama to the conference:

SANTA FE ― Nov. 30, State Auditor Tim Keller announced that the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) outlined a plan for the resolution of longstanding questions about revenue collection at the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance (OSI).

The plan includes the initiation of an in-depth audit, to be conducted by an independent firm, to determine amounts that may be owed to the state. The plan also includes recommendations for multiagency coordination for oversight of the audit findings and responsibilities for any settlement claims.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District released the following statement after voting in support of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a number of priorities for New Mexico.

“From the dedicated men and women who serve our country at Cannon Air Force Base, to the cutting edge research taking place at Los Alamos National Labs, I am proud of the leading role New Mexico’s Third District plays in ensuring our national security policy.

The significant progress made in ground control maintenance over the past several weeks in the WIPP underground has exceeded expectations. Ground control is important to ensure safe working conditions for resuming waste emplacement.

SANTA FE ― Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest plan to continue the Gallinas Watershed prescribed burn next week, focusing on a 180-acre block in the Las Dispensas area and a 1,120-acre unit on Johnson Mesa.

Ignitions may begin Monday, Dec. 5, if conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecasts, are favorable and may continue through Thursday, Dec. 8.

The Gallinas Watershed, located approximately 20 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NM, is a priority for forest restoration, including prescribed burning, because it is the primary water

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined several of his colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to declassify information relating to the Russian government and the U.S. election.

“We believe there is additional information concerning the Russian Government and the U.S. election that should be declassified and released to the public,” wrote Heinrich and his colleagues in their letter.

PHOENIX ― The Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners announced the start of “National Tax Security Awareness Week.”

As part of the Security Summit effort, the IRS, the states and the tax community will share a variety of information throughout next week to educate taxpayers on steps they should take to protect themselves from identity theft and tax scams as well as protect their valuable financial data in advance of the upcoming filing season.

The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department. Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

Nov. 16 at 1:51 p.m. / A 47-year-old Papillion man reported that he is the victim of fraud on Trinity Drive. The estimated loss is less than $250.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Tom Udall welcomes the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of the first 10 chemicals that the agency will review for possible risks to public health and the environment, as required under Udall’s Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.

Udall’s landmark, bipartisan bill, which was signed into law by President Obama in June, reforms the broken Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA), ensuring that children and communities across the nation are protected from dangerous

ALBUQUERQUE ― David A. Hickman, 28, of Albuquerque has been charged with using an explosive device to damage or destroy a building – the Old Navy store in the Pavilions at San Mateo shopping center in Albuquerque – used in interstate commerce.

The charge against Hickman was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Chief Gorden E.

Members of the DWI Awareness Council at this evening’s County Council meeting to accept a proclamation from Councilor Kristin Henderson denoting the Week of Dec. 4-10, 2016 as DWI Awareness Week. A variety of public outreach and educational activities are planned. To promote ‘Don’t Drink and Drive,’ the Planning Council will be using grant funds to pay for free ‘Buzz Bus’ rides Dec. 30 and 31, courtesy of Atomic City Transit.Courtesy/LAC

COUNTY News:

DWI Planning Council urges ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ during the holiday season or any time of year

The Department of Public Utilities’ contractor Parker Construction Company will be performing work starting today replacing gas and electric infrastructure along East Road, N.M. 502, between Airport Drive and Camino Entrada.

According to Department officials, the majority of the work will take place within the airport property line and on the outside of the road bed, therefore there are no lane closures, detours or interruption of utility services anticipated. The project is scheduled to be completed in mid-February.